OCTOBER 2022

Sometimes I get overwhelmed at how my are so good looking.

We love that Ryan has parking near the Alamo.

He makes random trips down there and enjoys the sites.

I have taken a group of neighborhood kids for a bike ride up around the 

JW Marriott.  It is funny how many times we have to stop for a rest.

Young men activity

everyone is musical

Still swimming in October. 

Nice that the pool is still open.

Luke has chosen to play the cello.

We feel so lucky for our kids to have this opportunity.

Luke and Shahir have after school orchestra on 

M & W and we take turns picking them up.

There was a school carnival.  Ryan said that the lines were

so ridiculously long that the kids just played on the playground.

We went for a weekend to Waco.

It was such a great little getaway.

Standing as tall as 14 feet and weighing 20,000 pounds, Columbian mammoths roamed across what is present-day Texas thousands of years ago. Today, the fossil specimens represent the nation's first and only recorded evidence of a nursery herd of ice age Columbian mammoths from approximately 68,000 years ago.

Dr. Pepper Museum

Invented in 1885 in WACO and In 1906, a three-story building was built at the corner of Fifth and Mary for the purpose of bottling and shipping the new drink.

Another victim of Dr. Pepper

Across the street are the Silos at Magnolia

We introduced the kids to Cracker Barrel.

It was an automatic favorite especially because they 

had huge stuffies for $15.

We went home with a hippo and platypus.

On the last day we went to the zoo and children's museum at Baylor.

The kids had a blast at the children's museum.  

I was worried that they would be too old- but NOPE, we had a blast.

Lost tooth and making cookies

I arranged a "Girls' Weekend" with Catherine, Sara, Bethany, 

and Kristen in Capitol Reef.  The night before I flew out, my head was itching.

Initially, I was worried that I had lice or scabies!  It was uncontrollable.

I couldn't stop itching and was keeping Ryan awake.  Poor Ryan.

I was completely shocked to see my entire body covered in hives.  

I had no idea why.  I stopped taking all medication but it continued throughout my trip.

It got so bad that Saturday morning, my eyes had swollen.  We were slightly worried that my airway would close in the middle of nowhere.  I was taking Benadryl and applying hydrocortisone and Sunday, I was much better.  I went to the doctor upon my return and they did every lab thinkable. 

The only thing I am allergic to is cockroaches.  Luckily I haven't been exposed to that!

It was just a freak idiopathic reaction.

We still had a wonderful time.  We hiked Hickman's Bridge and ran into Claire's sister, Rochelle and family.  We reminisced and laughed and enjoyed being together again.

Ryan went to DC for work.

I do get jealous that he gets to visit Brady/Elizabeth et al. 

Mom flew in and we went to Steve Martin and Martin Short together.

They were hilarious.  I am so glad we got to do that. 

They got to go to Sam's orchestra concert.

We went to a Johnson football game.  I was hoping that it 

was going to be more like Friday Night Lights.

The band has received national awards but wasn't 

nearly as entertaining as Bainbridge.  

Then we enjoyed the Dia de los Muertos festival.  

It was so very impressive. 

That evening, we went to the Elton John Concert, Final Tour.

I underestimated the traffic and crowds.  Only a few doors were open with thousands of people trying to enter.  Unfortunately we missed the opening number, Benny and the Jets (mom and dad's favorite song).

We stopped to pose in front of the Alamo.

HALLOWEEN

Tessa-witch, Luke- grim reaper, Sam- amazon box

We were so happy to have Mom and Dad here and it is nice that the kids are 

old enough to go out on their own.